Under the Skin

Under the Skin
Catherine McPhail
Edinburgh, Barrington Stoke, 2012, 53p

Omar's family have never had it easy, but now they have a home in England. Omar can't wait for his cousin to come and join them, and writes to tell him so. But Omar isn't completely honest in his letters. He writes about his friend, Sam, when in fact Omar and Sam are enemies.

Despite his school preaching tolerance, Sam is not accepting of Omar. They fight often, with Omar being fast to lash out and attack. Neither are exactly in the right. And Omar's mother isn't exactly setting a great example, bickering and squabbling with their neighbour, Mrs Brown.

This is another of the brilliant dyslexia friendly books from Barrington Stoke, where they work hard to ensure that their texts are accessible for all. The story is ideal for junior or teenage readers, it's content perfectly directed at any reluctant reader. Omar's story is gripping and engaging, with a strong moral undercurrent, and yet you do not feel like you are being preached at.
 
Under the Skin is a story that demonstrates how we are all pretty similar people beneath our externalities. The relationship between Omar and Sam shows how easy it is to judge people; it takes the boys a lot to get to know each other truly.